TREKKER GOES MISSING IN NORTH SIKKIM

Extensive search on to locate the youth

GANGTOK, June 15: Five college students who went for adventure trekking from Kabi to Paach Pokhari in North Sikkim ended with a missing participant on June 13 on their way back to Kabi.

The student trekkers namely Tenzing Chepo (20) of Sichey here studying at a Kolkata based college, Ganesh Darjee (18) of Kabi, Tenzing Tshering Bhutia (21) of Sikkim Government Collage, Tadong, Chung Chung Bhutia of Penlong and another whose identity is still unknown set off from Kabi on June 10 morning.

On the first day they reportedly crossed forests and reached Zithang where they halted for the night in tents with the cowherds in the forest. The next day, they reached Paach Pokhari, where they spend the night. On June 12, the set off for return trek and halted at Zithang.

In the morning of June 13, the group of five headed back to Kabi. On the way, it was learnt that two of the trekkers were walking in pairs and Tenzing Chepo was treading at the end. When the four waited for Tenzing Chepo, he did not turn up even after an hour’s wait.

Thereof, the four decided to walk back looking for their friend. They searched for Tenzing Chepo all the way but failed to trace him even after reaching right back to Zithang again. Informing the cowherds at Zithang, another search was conducted but Chepo could not be traced. The four participants later came back to Kabi and the parents of the missing boy were informed.

A missing report was lodged at the Kabi Out Post by the father of Chepo. Today morning, a search team consisting of 13 local people of Kabi along with Chepo’s father and two police personnel Nedup Bhutia (DSP) and Karma Bhutia took off to locate the youth. The North District Police has extended its full support to find him.